Mr. Pewee Baysah has been given the mandate to steer the affairs of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) for the next two years, thus succeeding Joe Mason.
The Baysah-led officers were elected at the close of ALJA’s 11th Convention held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from September 14-17, 2023, where several individuals were given ALJA’s Media Excellence Award.
Recipients of the award for their perceptible services included former journalist, Abdoulaye Wahab Dukule, founding Member of ALJA, who also served as assistant professor and chairperson of the French Department at the University of Liberia; Christiana Winnie Saywah Jimmy, Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper; Titus W. Tokpa, Sr., founder of the Peter Quaqua School of Journalism; Rev. Suah Deddeh, former president of the Press Union of Liberia; and Peter Quaqua, outgoing president of the West African Journalists Association, who also served as president and assistant Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia.
According to a press release issued by the Association on Thursday, September 21, 2023, the 11th National Convention was held under the theme: “How can the Media ensure a transparent and violence-free elections.”
Baysah was sworn in as National president, along with his team, which includes Kadiatu Brohiri, National Vice president, and Joey Kennedy, National Secretary-General. Others include Stanley McGill as National Assistant Secretary-General, and Lisa Willie as National Treasurer.
Administering the Oath of Office to the new ALJA officials, the Senior Pastor of the Ebenezer Community Church, Francis Tabla, urged the new officers to serve with integrity and commitment to the organization, as well as positively impact the media landscape in Liberia by continuously espousing the importance of freedom of speech and the press, the rule of law and good governance, especially during the current electoral season. Rev. Tabla invoked the blessings of God upon the new leadership, admonishing them to put God first in the discharge of their duties.
In his inaugural address, the new prexy, Baysah, called for the existence of free, pluralistic, and independent media in Liberia.
Baysah noted that a wholesome functioning democracy is one in which the Independent Media present facts and educate citizens on the state of affairs in their countries.
The ALJA president described the critical role the media plays in creating space for people to express their views, giving voice to the voiceless in society, such as the youth, women, and people with disabilities, who often feel marginalized but harbor a critical role in achieving Sustainable Development.
The ALJA release quotes Baysah as saying that “While the Liberian media are undoubtedly progressive in reporting and highlighting issues affecting the society, there is a need to step up their watchdog role to help national institutions foster a more deeply entrenched culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity.”
He also called on the Liberian Media to proactively look for and tell the story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to help solve the multiple development challenges the country faces; this, according to Baysah, can help motivate more citizen-inspired action.
In his farewell message, outgoing president, Joe Mason, applauded the Board of Directors of ALJA, the organization’s executive leadership, chapter heads and committee members, and members of the association for their unwavering commitment and hard work, which have served as the epitome of the organization’s success over the years.
Mason recounted the numerous achievements garnered by ALJA during his tenure, which, among other things, include championing the pivotal causes of freedom of speech and press, advocacy for the rule of law and good governance, as well as capacity building for Liberian journalists.
Mason served at the helm of the organization for a total of eight years; four years as National Vice president and four years as National president.
Also, Mason, reflecting on the unwavering support and the tireless efforts in running the affairs of ALJA for the past several years, awarded the Distinguished Service Award to former and present officers of ALJA.
Those receiving awards were Samuel Wah Johnson, outgoing National Vice president; Akai Glidden, outgoing National Secretary-General, and Patrick Kugmeh, member of the Board of Directors of ALJA, for their distinguished service to the association, while the Outstanding Service Award was given to Pricilla Nyenator, former Chairperson on the Membership, Grievance, and Professional Ethics Committee.
Meanwhile, Representative Naquetta Ricks of the Colorado State General Assembly, urged both traditional and digital media in Liberia to work together to combat the spread of misinformation and promote constructive dialogue before, during, and after the ensuing October 10, 2023, General Elections in Liberia.
Rep. Ricks, who served as guest speaker at the ALJA Fundraising Dinner and Awards Night, implored media practitioners in Liberia to seek diverse perspectives on critical national issues, verify information before publication, and engage in critical thinking, as part of their responsibility to the Liberian people.
Madam Ricks, who is the first Liberian-American to be elected to any state legislature in the US, reminded Liberians both at home and in the USA to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming electoral process in Liberia, adding that “Voting is the foundation of democracy, it’s how citizens communicate their desires and preferences to their government. When citizens don’t vote, they’re effectively giving up their rights to have a say in how their country is governed.”
She called on all Liberians to go out on October 10 and vote, pointing out that voting is an important way to promote unity and equality in our society.
The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas is a 501 (C) 3 organization founded by former Liberian journalists based in the United States in 1998, and was revived in 2014 after a period of dormancy.
ALJA advocates for good governance, rule of law, democracy, freedom of speech and of the press, and provides capacity building for practicing journalists and media institutions in Liberia.
